Yvette was a senior reporter, covering the Midwest. She earned a bachelors in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, began her reporting career at the storied City News Bureau of Chicago, and joined the Bond Buyer in 1997 leading Midwest coverage from her hometown Chicago.
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CHICAGO — The Chicago Transit Authority board this week signed off on the agency’s planned sale of $550 million of sales tax-backed, mostly taxable Build America Bonds to finance the acquisition of new rail cars.
February 11 - Minnesota
CHICAGO — Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty outlined a broad legislative agenda yesterday in his final state of the state address, which focused on job creation, cutting taxes for employers, reining in government spending and eliminating a $1.2 billion budget deficit through cuts.
February 11 -
CHICAGO — The Illinois Finance Authority this week advanced plans for $750 million of health care borrowing planned by Alexian Brothers Health System, the University of Chicago Medical Center, Palos Community Hospital, and a continuing-care community.
February 10 -
CHICAGO — The fiscal strain in Illinois that has led to record long bill payment delays this week prompted Moody’s Investors Service to downgrade five of eight state-supported universities that are owed $735 million by the state.
February 10 - Minnesota
CHICAGO — As the Minnesota Senate moved yesterday to advance a $1 billion capital budget, Moody’s Investors Service sent a credit warning by shifting its outlook on the state’s Aa1 rating to negative due to ongoing fiscal weakness and heavy reliance on one-shots to balance its books.
February 9 - Wisconsin
Standard & Poor’s last week upgraded by one notch to A-plus its rating on the Plymouth Joint School District due to its maintenance of strong reserves.
February 9 - Wisconsin
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle last week signed legislation that advances state efforts to capitalize on its share of recovery zone facility bonds authorized in the federal stimulus program.
February 9 - Illinois
Standard & Poor’s last week upgraded the rating of West Chicago by two notches to AA-plus based on the city’s strong financial position.
February 9 -
Two rating agencies have revised Provena Health’s outlook to stable from negative ahead of its $126 million debt restructuring that took place on Monday.
February 9 -
CHICAGO — New York-based Rice Financial Products has promoted chief financial officer Cristal Baron to president as the firm seeks to capitalize on its evolution from a derivatives boutique to a full-service broker-dealer by carving out a bigger chunk of book-running business.
February 5 - Missouri
CHICAGO — The potential sale of the smaller of two hotels that make up the bondholder-owned St. Louis convention center complex is advancing with the field of possible buyers now narrowed down to two.
February 4 -
CHICAGO — Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes conceded Thursday morning to Gov. Pat Quinn in the Democratic primary to run for the governor’s office in November.
February 4 - Wisconsin
CHICAGO — Wisconsin yesterday priced $131 million of new-money and refunding clean-water revenue bonds, the first in a series of three state deals over the next month, including a restructuring of more than $200 million of general obligation bonds for budget savings this year.
February 2 - Wisconsin
Moody’s Investors Service last week said the Wisconsin Public Power Inc.’s A1 rating would not be affected by its proposal to purchase the electric distribution assets of Menasha’s steam utility plant. The WPPI has $422.7 million of rated debt.
February 2 - Missouri
Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser unveiled a proposal this week that calls for borrowing $100 million to finance infrastructure improvements and security measures around the city’s schools.
February 2 - Wisconsin
CHICAGO — Milwaukee today will competitively issue $130 million of general obligation promissory notes and another $16 million of taxable notes and bonds to raise funds for various capital projects and to refund commercial paper.
February 1 -
CHICAGO — The University of Minnesota, one of the first borrowers to use the Build America Bond program last spring, enters the market today with $36 million of fixed-rate, new-money bonds that will again tap the federal stimulus program.
February 1 -
CHICAGO — A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge ruled yesterday that a lawsuit filed by five southeastern Wisconsin school districts against several financial firms over the safety of an investment involving synthetic collateralized debt obligations can proceed.
January 28 - Iowa
CHICAGO — Iowa Gov. Chet Culver this week unveiled a $5.32 billion fiscal 2011 budget that keeps the state in the black through the use of $254 million in fiscal reserves, $340 million in savings through a government reorganization and other cost-cutting measures, and $52 million from the elimination or reduction of some tax credits.
January 28 - Wisconsin
CHICAGO — Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle this week outlined a broad agenda for his final year in office, calling on the Legislature to provide property-tax breaks for homeowners and pass measures that promote job growth, hand control of the Milwaukee Public Schools over to the city’s mayor, and establish a Milwaukee-area regional transit agency.
January 27
